Fairbanks Questions....Wildlife....etc.? (Delta Junction, Tanana: rental, transfer, schools)

[code3737]

Hello from Kalispell Montana!

My husband might be transferred to Fairbanks, and I have some questions for all of those who live there.

1. Biggest question.....BUGS? Is the mosquito really the "State Bird"? How bad are the bugs there?

2. Are there a lot of trees? I love the woods, and would miss it a lot, if there aren't trees in the area! I would also miss having the mountains right in my backyard, but give and take.

3. Wildlife abundant? You see the specials on TV about moose, and bear strolling through Alaska towns. Is that something you deal with in the interior there? I love having birds and deer in the yard here in Montana, and would love for the kids to experience more.

4. We get snow and cold, but nothing like what I have been seeing on the forum. Is it -40 all winter, or it just for a couple of weeks or so?

5. Why are a lot of rental cabins "dry"? Is there a lack of water there or no well drillers or something?

6. Is there enough warmth & Summer to have a real garden?

7. Are people friendly? Montana used to be such a friendly place, and anyone would give you the shirt off their back, if you needed it. We are so overrun with people from CA now, that people don’t even wave hello anymore (Yes, people from CA, it is true!! ).

8. Good place to raise kids (we have two ages 6 & 2)?

Anyway, thanks for any input on any of those questions! Sorry for having so many, but when you are told that you might have to move to the real "wilderness" of America, I’d rather be forewarned, than surprised. We as a family love hiking, camping, and fishing, so outdoor paradise is grand, but no place is perfect. Just want the kids to be safe, and us as a family to have fun.

Thank you!!
Mary
P.S. We love snow, snow, and oh yeah.....more snow! But don't want it so cold that the kids can't go outside in it!

[gobrien]

Check out the Alaska Information Links on this forum, lots of great information! And yes, you can grow a very nice garden up there but will have to have a fence to keep out the plentiful wildlife! I do not know why some places don't have wells drilled, not for lack of well drillers or good water sources. I think it is just to save money.

[code3737]

Thanks! There is a lot of information on here that I am trying to go through, and it's really helping out. I read the "Winter Survival Guide" from the News-Miner, and that was informative as well.

Glad to know that there are good water sources!! Hubby and I were trying to figure that one out, and with all the "dry" places to rent, it was making us wonder.....LOL When you have two children, water is a must!

Thanks again. Happy to know growing a garden in Alaska, isn't a myth

[gobrien]

I have the impression on the dry cabins that some people really enjoy living more rustically and come to Alaska for that reason. And the dry cabins are inexpensive, but I agree with you, it is much too difficult to not have running water and raise a family.

My dad had a wonderful garden, he did have top soil delivered to make it easier to grow, but we had all sorts of fresh veggies. He even had a mini-greenhouse to grow corn but it we just got really small ears. I've heard there are arctic varieties and some experimentation is going on to make it a possibility. Have you seen the giant cabbages yet in the Fair pictures?

[heathen]

1. Bugs. They're worse than in western Montana, and sometimes completely ridiculous (not right in Fairbanks so much), but coming from Kalispell, you're at an advantage over most new arrivals. In late May - mid July head to the high mountains south of Fairbanks for outdoor recreation, or face the hordes...

2. Trees: Yes, Fairbanks is surrounded by boreal forest (spruce and birch mostly). In much of the interior, the trees are too short to really feel like forest (black spruce), but in the broad valleys (like the Tanana and Chena around town), tall white spruce grow and it won't feel that much different from Montana. Alaska is a big backyard, but the Alaska Range is visible on the southern horizon on a clear day. It's about 125 miles to Denali National Park, and 150 down into the range along the Richardson Hwy. And the rolling interior hills/mountains surround the town on all other sides.

3. Critters: You will see lots of moose, everywhere except right downtown. The hills have everything from grizzlies and black bears to wolves, lynx, and all manner of little critters. We don't have deer or elk, but we do have caribou (pretty much reindeer) and Dall sheep in the mountains.

4. Cold: I think we usually get about 10 days below -40 through a winter, though most of the winter is below zero and -20 to -30 is common. Really nasty ice fog forms below -30. It's worth noting that the hills around town are often 20-30 degrees warmer than the lowlands. On the positive side, Fairbanks is exceptionally un-windy, so the cold dry air doesn't feel as bad as most would expect. Your car will hate you though.

5. Dry cabins: It's very expensive to drill wells in the hills. It's nice not to have to worry about pipes freezing. It's also a sort of cultural thing I guess, and trendy with the college students. Hill people who want running water fill up big tanks in the backs of their pickups and then pump it up to a tank in their attic.

6. Gardens: Yes! Gardening is very popular up here, though some common garden stuff like tomatoes and peas don't do so well without a greenhouse. The summers are short, but you'll be amazed how fast stuff grows with 21 hours of daylight (last freeze in late May, first freeze at the end of August or beginning of September.

7. People: Yes and no... Unfortunately, Alaska's reputation for high paying jobs does attract people who shouldn't be here. Everytime somebody says they wish they were somewhere else, I want to kick them in the shins and tell them, by all means!! Still, most are deeply friendly, if not immediately warm and fuzzy, if you know what I mean, especially when it comes to dealing with the very real hazards that this place throws at ordinary people. Most importantly to me, almost everybody here actually has a PERSONALITY. Even if a person's a real s!!!head, I'll take a s!!!head with character over the California drones any day.

8. Kids: I would say yes, though the transition may be really hard. There is no doubt this place will automatically supplement an education. It's a safe place, relatively slow paced, and the quality of the schools is probably comparable to anywhere else. Bear in mind that I don't have kids.

As is my habbit, here's a whole bunch of pictures:
Professional Alaska Stock Photography and Alaska pictures. Search results for "fairbanks alaska photos". (http://www.alaskaphotographics.com/cgi-bin/script.pl?op=search&keywords=fairbanks+alaska+phot os - broken link)

[code3737]

I haven't seen the giant cabbages yet. I'll have to check that out though! Down here we have giant Zucchini at the Fair. It gets pretty crazy, and the locals take it very seriously....LOL There are some high money prizes for largest, strangest shape, and so forth. They even have a Zucchini carving contest. I should take a class, so I can join in on your Ice Carving....haha What we all will do for entertainment!

Joking aside, I love to garden, so I am happy there is enough time to grow one. I figured I'd only get to grow a small herb garden inside, and call it good.

Is 4-H a big thing up there? My daughter is in Cloverbuds down here, and we are hoping she can continue that. She is loves horses, and wanted to continue 4-H in that group, but if we move up there, I think horses will be far and few between!

[code3737]

Awesome "heathen". Thanks for taking the time to answer those questions for me! I appreciate it a lot Right with you on the California drones!!!

Bummed to hear about the bugs Was really hoping the horror stories, were just that.

Pictures were very nice!!!! Thanks for the link to those Really enjoyed it!

[gobrien]

book

Check out "Recess at 20 Below", it is a book written by a Delta Junction school teacher, and can give you an idea of what school life will be like for your children. Kids really love it in the interior!

[gobrien]

Originally Posted by code3737

I haven't seen the giant cabbages yet. I'll have to check that out though! Down here we have giant Zucchini at the Fair. It gets pretty crazy, and the locals take it very seriously....LOL There are some high money prizes for largest, strangest shape, and so forth. They even have a Zucchini carving contest. I should take a class, so I can join in on your Ice Carving....haha What we all will do for entertainment!

Joking aside, I love to garden, so I am happy there is enough time to grow one. I figured I'd only get to grow a small herb garden inside, and call it good.

Is 4-H a big thing up there? My daughter is in Cloverbuds down here, and we are hoping she can continue that. She is loves horses, and wanted to continue 4-H in that group, but if we move up there, I think horses will be far and few between!

You'd be surprised how many horses there are in the interior. Now I can't speak for Fairbanks, because I am from Delta Junction, but there are many horse ranches and 4H activities there. It is an expensive hobby but people love it! My son works on a horse ranch for a breed called Curlies.